“ Highly recommended ! Hazel Henderson, Editor “

NEWS FROM MAXIMPACT AND THE IMPACT INVESTING COMMUNITY.

ISSUE

THE IPCC SUMMARY REPORT ON CLIMATE CHANGE: WHAT IT MEANS FOR IMPACT INVESTING

On 27 September 2013, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published the first of three volumes of its fifth Assessment Report (AR5). The long-awaited report summary emerged amid a flurry of media coverage and a volley of commentary, both pro and contra. Its main conclusions were clear, however: climate change is real, its effects are already measurable, and it is being caused by human activity.

“Some rushed to embrace the IPCC’s findings, while others set out to disprove the science and question the motives behind it.”

by Marta Maretich

BIG INVESTORS, SMALL INVESTORS, ALL INVESTORS

A handful of visionary investors, social thought leaders, philanthropic organizations and foundations gave impact investing its start. These were typical early adopters, open to new ideas and confident enough to take the risks necessary to find out if they worked.

BETTER NAMES FOR IMPACT INVESTING (AND OTHER INSIGHTS FROM HAZEL HENDERSON)

Hazel Henderson has never really liked the term “impact investing”.

“All investments have impacts,” she told us. “I pointed this out to the authors of the original paper published by the Rockefeller Foundation. Some of these impacts include blowing the tops off mountains and spilling oil in the Gulf of Mexico!”

CLEANTECH SUMMIT

The Cleantech Summit presented by Tech Tour, IVC, co-organized by Intesa SanPaolo and supported by the Italian Trade Agency will identify the most exciting 20+ privately held Cleantech companies in Europe. In just a day and a half get a unique snapshot of Europe’s Cleantech opportunities. Network with those shaping tomorrow’s Cleantech industry landscape, with delegates and speakers representing top players in the Cleantech industry. 10% off early bird fee available for Maximpact members until the end of October. CODE: CTSMAX

SAVING OUR FORESTS FROM THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE

By Ana LaRue

Most people are still navigating through the data of the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, but it’s overall message is clear: anthropogenic (or human-made) climate change is already taking its toll on the life on this planet.
In a series of blogposts, Maximpact will be looking at what the IPCC’s findings mean for different parts of the impact investing sector. In the first of the series, we focus on forestry. The IPCC report covers several aspects of climate change that impact directly on forests.

HOW TO FIND IMPACT INVESTORS TO FINANCE YOUR SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS

By Marta Maretich

Originally posted on theOpenForests blog. OpenForests is a consultancy specializing in sustainable forestry projects.

So, you’ve written the business plan. Congratulations! (And thanks to OpenForests for their useful guide to writing a business plan for a sustainable forestry enterprise.) Now you’re ready to look past the trees and focus on the forest—the wide world of impact investment. It’s time to go out and raise capital. But where do you start?